KOTA KINABALU: What a passer-by thought was a kitten mewing near a dumpsite turned out to be an abandoned newborn baby.

       The passer-by, a man in his 30s, had been walking by the dumpsite in Sepanggar near here at about 7pm on Wednesday when he heard the faint cries.

       According to the police, the man began rummaging through the rubbish after suspecting that the cries were not from cats or other animals.

       Kota Kinabalu acting police chief Supt George Rakman said the man immediately alerted the cops upon spotting the baby covered in a blue cloth among the trash.

       The baby was later handed over to medical officials for an examination.

       Supt Rakman said the man told the police that he had not seen anyone in the area when he was there.

       He said police had yet to receive any information about the baby’s mother.

       He urged those with information to contact the nearest police station to assist in this case.